obama will focus on jobs and the economy. >> our economy grows when everybody is getting a fair shot and everybody is getting a fair shake. >> reporter: the president will emphasize the value of spending on education to give americans the skills they need. infrastructure like roads, research, including clean energy technology, and manufacturing. the inauguration was more about the underdog. this is about people that have already made it but the american dream is fading and he's got their backs. >> reporter: adding to the urgency of tuesday's speech, the looming sequester deadline set for march 1 when $85 million in across the board cuts are set to take effect. >> the economy is poised to take off if we do the right things. >> reporter: the president warning cuts would cause a huge blow to the economy. republicans firmly oppose more tax revenue as a solution. >> the problem is, david, every time you turn around, the answer is to raise taxes. you know, he just got his tax hike on the wealthy and you can't in this town every three months raise taxes. >> reporter: while some of the presi